That's Prohibition Spirits and Cigar Lounge in Green Bay, I love that place. My main go to when I'm in GB.
Essential or Not: What's Missing In Your Pipe Gear?
- Thread starter Peterson314
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Same.
I can't justify any other accessories. My cheap pipe pouch holds two pipes and a tobacco pouch (with additional accessories), so I have enough to sustain (especially since I don't travel much).
Correction, that is not Prohibition. Its Owl Shop, but it looks very similar to Prohibition in GB.
Yeah the Owl Shop is historic in CT. That pic from Owl Shop website shows it well. Glad you have a similar place in Green Bay. If I'm ever in WI I'll have to check it out.
Not to worry. A good, compact reamer is the Buttner.I regret never having bought a Savinelli Fitsall pipe reamer.
If you had 50 pipes to do at once, your fingers would get a real workout, but the Buttner seems good for a dozen in a row. Use a thisk dish rag or towel.
No pipe rack--instead I keep each pipe in a teacup in the tea set tray in the open part of the china cabinet. I only own five pipes, and there are eight cups, so I guess I can get three more pipes at some point. Somehow I acquired lots of fancy dishes from grandmothers and great-grandmothers that mostly collect dust, but pipes stand up perfectly in teacups.
No tobacco tray of leather--instead I use a sheet of paper folded twice. It works perfectly even if it isn't very classy.
No fancy tamper--just a basic Czech tool works fine, and the little shovel part doubles as a good scraper to reduce excess caking.
No pipe lighter--a basic bic works fine.
No pipe stand--I have a small pewter tray I use as a pipe tray. It has an edge around it that lets the pipe prop on either end and hold the lighter and tamper, and I can hold it under the pipe while tamping the first time or two to catch any particles.
No ashtray or knocker--I just knock the pipe against my knuckle of the opposite hand and dump the ash in the kitchen sink and wash away.
No aromatics--I tried some at first, but figured out quickly straight tobacco was my thing.
No specially bought jars--I reuse three-cup Mason jars that Classico spaghetti sauce comes in.
Yep, got one by my egg carton pipe rack!
Ok - suggestions? I have a Savinelli that is beginning to get a decent cake on it. When I measure it with a micrometre, I'm getting .59" (15mm). when I look at kits like the Castelford, I see that the smallest reamer is 17mm - meaning I wouldn't even be able to get it in the bowl. Smokingpipes talks about the oyster knife style reamer - but I'm not sure if that's any good as well.
Pipe tool and wiping the chamber with a paper towel after every use. I've only reamed my basic cob, which I abuse and don't clean regularly (and I should treat it better).
There was a suggestion by @georged about using a popsicle stick here:
The Popsicle Stick Trick :: Pipe Talk
Reaming thick cake buildup is a PITA. Messy, takes special tools, and if not done carefully can cause permanent damage to a pipe. Depending on the tobacco smoked and chamber height, it can also be EXTREMELY difficult to remove. I've seen it nearly as hard as ceramic and take a half hour...
pipesmagazine.com
My reamer is very similar to the one linked below and should work for most pipes: https://www.smokingpipes.com/accessories/pipe-tampers-and-tools/moreinfo.cfm?product_id=84690
Great tip - thanks! Looked at another thread on reaming and deep cleaning. Most talked about wiping out the bowl with a paper towel after every smoke. I always, once the pipe is cool, take the stem off, run a pipe cleaner through it and the shank and then bend the pipe cleaner into a "U" before giving it a little turn in the bowl. But I'll do the paper towel as well now.
Unfortunately, the reamer from SP wouldn't work in my Savinelli 626 - I have a reading on the micrometre of .6" - wouldn't even be able to get it in the bowl! I have about a dime thickness on it - creeps up on you fast - I don't smoke that much - four or five bowls a week in the summer using a dozen pipes. All of a sudden I noticed the cake and started to get worried. Didn't know what to do. I'll get some of the pop sickle sticks tomorrow at the local dollar store and give it a try.
I have many reamers (Kleen Reem, T handle style, Savinelli pipe knife, etc.) and I find I use the Smoking Pipes Oyster Knife more than any of them—I like being able to control the pressure by feel. It’s well worth getting.
I just use 320 grit sandpaper and my finger, works perfectly. A reamer or a blade can gouge the chamber and rim if you're not careful.
I have at least a dozen and a half tampers but probably use my index finger more than any of them.
Same
I have matching tampers for some of my pipes as well as figural pewter ones and got a Laguiole pipe knife a while back. I mainly just look at them and use them for photo dressing while I tamp with my finger.
I keep my fancy ones on display in a box with a glass top and on those occasions when I don’t use my finger, I usually use the good old Czech pipe tool.
For a tamper, I use an aluminum pipe nail. I have probably 18 fancier tampers but the aluminum nail is inexpensive, lightweight in the pocket and only a dollar or two a piece. I probably have a dozen, so I always have one handy. A man has to have a backstock of tampers as well as tobacco!
My fingers are too large for tamping beyond the initial tamp.
My fingers are too large for tamping beyond the initial tamp.